The Dream Is Real. And Made of Cross Stitch.

[anonymityblaize]

It's finally time for me to unveil my completed Inception cross stitch! I am terribly excited about showing this off, and I hope other people like it as much as I do!

I began thinking about this project around this time last year, but didn't start stitching until towards the end of June. It took me a long time before I was happy with any of the umpty jillion patterns I tried and discarded. I noodled around with several screengrabs and whatnot of the hotel corridor fight for quite sometime before settling on doing the Arthur poster image, mainly because it had a wider range of colours than using a scene directly from the movie. I was finished the actual stitching part by the middle of November so it would seem that I keep taking around five months to do one of these cross stitches o' doom, regardless of the size of the project. (For reference, Arthur is over twice the size and contains over three times the number of stitches as my stitched Serenity, and almost double the stitches of the Enterprise one.)

At no point did I get frustrated with this project, which is a novelty to me. Not even a minor pout or kerfuffle. I can't decide if that's the reason this has been my favourite project so far, or if it is genuinely the best thing I've made. I've certainly never stitched better. The stitches and the tension are much more uniform across the piece than I've ever achieved in the past.

Here come the stats! The stitched design measures 22cm by 29cm. It contains 31,108 stitches from 25 different colours of thread. I used nearly 150 metres of those threads, and almost 50 meters of that is the very dark navy that dominates the piece.

So. Yeah. This happened.

Before pressing and framing:



And after:





Extreme close up! (almost actual size)





And I'm going to leave a slideshow here of all the pics I took as I was stitching to help motivate me the next time a large project is getting me down, or seems to be taking forever!

 

Many more pics, and larger ones too, can be found here.

(BTW, does this count as fanart? I mean, I know it does, but could I post it to inception comms as fanart? And if so, which ones should I post it to? I am excited to show it off, but confused as to where it would be welcome. I am a bear of very little brain sometimes.)

Right, now I'm off to check my totem so I know I didn't make this beauty in a dream...

ETA: Pattern now available here.

x-posted to geekcrafts here, craftgrrl here, inceptionfilm here, inception_art here, and inception here.

Comments

[delires]

Wow amazing!!! I remember when you first started this! I totally think it counts as fanart! You should defs post it to comms.

SOOO IMPRESSED! I can never make it to the end of any cross stitch I start.... XD

[anonymityblaize]

Thank you! It feels like a lifetime ago that I started it! I think I'm gonna do some comm reonnaissance tomorrow and work out where I should post it.

[anatsuno]

I'm pretty sure it would be TOTALLY welcome in inception! That is gorgeous and amazing and I am completely in awe of you.
I used to know of a general purpose fandom x crafts comm but the name escapes me at the moment... Hmph.

anyway, WHOA. Great job you! *____*

[anonymityblaize]

I'll have a look and hopefully post it there later. Thank you!

[fannon_fodder]

This is the most fantastic piece of fanart I've seen in a long time :D I admire you for sticking with it! The photos showing the progression of the piece are fascinating, did you happen to take any of the back? For some reason I find the back almost as interesting as the front :)

You've inspired me to get started on my x-stitch again, something I have sadly neglected for the last five years or so. I've never done any fanart before, but I would really like my own one of these on my wall :) Would it be presumptuous of me to ask for a copy of the pattern?

[anonymityblaize]

Thank you so much! I only took a pic of the back when it was finished, but here's what that messiness looked like!



I'd be glad to share the pattern. It's still on my old computer, which is half dead, so it might take me a few days to track it down and check the file (sometimes I make changes as I go, so I'd want to incorporate them into the pattern) but once that's sorted I'll post it. I love the idea of someone wanting to get back into stitching again because of something I made - it's like the best compliment ever, so thank you!

[juniperphoenix]

Wow, this is extremely impressive. I'm not even an Inception fan; I just saw this on my Network page and had to comment. Amazing work.

(And yes, I think cross-stitch definitely counts as fanart!) :)

[anonymityblaize]

Thank you!

[beili]

Omg, this is absolutely fantastic. (Looking at your process now.) Amazing job!

[anonymityblaize]

Thanks!

[jain]

That is so cool. Lovely work!

[anonymityblaize]

Thank you!

[zing_och]

This is beautiful! Such amazing work.

[anonymityblaize]

Thanks!

[amuly]

HOL.EE.SHIT.

THAT IS FUCKING AMAZING.

HOLYSHIT.

I am in fucking AWE over here. AWE. This is phenomenal. I can't even... WOW. WOW WOW WOW.

Now, did you use a computer program or something to sort out the "pixels" of the stitch and what not, or did you sort that all on your own?

EITHER WAY. This is... WOW. WOOOOW. I just can't even believe this is real. Freaking amazing.

[anonymityblaize]

Ha ha! Thanks!

Its a little bit of both really - I have a program that converts pictures into patterns, but it is incredibly stupid sometimes so you have to go in after it imports something and make the lines cleaner, narrow down the number of different threads required etc etc. It's kinda fun though!

[quandjebois]

You're like some sort of cross-stitching magician!

[arabiana]

This is so amazing! I can certainly see the talent and dedication in the stitches (front and back). One of the best pieces of fanart I've seen so far!

Cross-stitch is my only art, but I've never been brave enough to create my own pattern. This certainly makes me want to! <3<3<3

[bat_hawk]

Oh my god, that is amazing. I cannot even begin to think about the work something like that entails. That is just so completely fantastic!

[perevision]

Oh my god, if that isn't dreaming bigger I don't know what is. Amazing!

[dahliablue.livejournal.com]

HOLY CRAP! THAT IS AWESOME!!! I'm so in awe.

I'd post it in geekcrafts, definitely. I've seen people post fandom crafts in fanart comms before. I love those posts. But I'm not sure which are active right now. I'm so out of the loop lately.

[anonymityblaize.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you!

Have posted it on geekcrafts just now, and I guess I'll have a look around the comms tomorrow and see where I should pimp it. I'm the same - I've spent so much time lurking or just not being caught up that I've no idea where everyone's at!

[ravewalker.livejournal.com]

Holy wow, it looks incredible! Seriously, so gorgeous. :D

[anonymityblaize.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[myrrhdusa.livejournal.com]

I am flabbergasted, it's just amazing.

[anonymityblaize.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

That's phenomenal! The sequence of in-progress pics is really eye-opening as to how much work was involved, too. Now that's dedication.

I just lurk in this fandom, but when I posted my Inception crafts back in 2010, I did it at inceptionfilm and inception_art.

[anonymityblaize.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Bizarrely, the slideshow makes it seem to me like it was really easy and is making me want to get started on another large project!

*sets off a-cross-posting*

[kiyala.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, that is just so amazing. I am in awe.

[anonymityblaize.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[haltlos.livejournal.com]

Holy shit this is insanely awesome!

[anonymityblaize.livejournal.com]

Thanks! (And BTW - fantastic icon!)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_fishda_/]

Wow this is intense! I admire the patience and dedication of people who cross stitch haha

[anonymityblaize.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm just one of those people who find it really soothing, almost meditative, so it doesn't feel like it's requiring any patience or anything. Which is lucky, given the stuff I want to make!

[ereshai.livejournal.com]

This is the coolest thing ever!
It combines two things I love - Inception and cross-stitch. Awesome job.

[anonymityblaize.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[ilovetakahana.livejournal.com]

Jeez Louise, that is a ton of fandom love in each stitch right there. Massive props to you for charting it and then putting it all together. I am in awe at the thread usage stats.

[anonymityblaize.livejournal.com]

Eeeee! Thank you! And I'm glad someone else appreciates the stats - I find that stuff endlessly fascinating!

[jenna_marianne]

Wow, very cool.

[anonymityblaize.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[laury-kos.livejournal.com]

(http://photobucket.com)

it's so perfect!! :D ,wow, congrats on your skils
*0*

[anonymityblaize.livejournal.com]

Thanks! (Also, gif comments are the best comments, and that gif is awesometoast. Ta!)

[mme-la-pyrate.livejournal.com]

Wow holy shit! As a fellow cross-stitcher, I am blown away. What count fabric did you use? And also where did you get the gridded fabric? Seriously this is the craziest most awesome thing I have seen in a long time!!

[anonymityblaize.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It's 18 count DMC magic guide aida and it is my most favouritest thing lately - makes larger projects like this soooooooooooooo much easier!

[fera_festiva]

JAWDROP.

This is incredible. I am lost for words, truly I am - what an incredible piece of work.

[anonymityblaize.livejournal.com]

Thanks!